Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Afya Limited has an average analyst rating of "Hold" from eight brokerages, with seven holds and one buy; the average 1-year price target is $17.10.
• Recent analyst actions were mixed, including rating downgrades from Zacks Research and Wall Street Zen, while JPMorgan trimmed its price target to $21.00 and kept a neutral stance.
• Insider selling has been notable, with executives selling shares over the past 90 days, while institutional investors still own a large majority of the stock at 88.02%.

Shares of Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.10.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on AFYA. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Afya in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research cut Afya from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Afya from $21.50 to $21.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Afya from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Afya in a report on Thursday, June 11th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Afya

In other news, insider Santos Welder Ferreira sold 3,325 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.90, for a total value of $52,867.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 35,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $556,500. This represents a 8.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Lelio De Souza Junior sold 41,541 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $623,115.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 36,204 shares of the company's stock, valued at $543,060. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 105,070 shares of company stock valued at $1,582,782. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Afya

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Doma Perpetual Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Afya by 50.6% in the 3rd quarter. Doma Perpetual Capital Management LLC now owns 891,639 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,910,000 after purchasing an additional 299,419 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB raised its stake in shares of Afya by 170.3% during the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 189,200 shares of the company's stock worth $2,916,000 after buying an additional 119,200 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Afya during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $731,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Afya in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $610,000. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA acquired a new stake in shares of Afya in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $508,000. 88.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Afya Stock Performance

Shares of AFYA traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $14.38. 63,386 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 121,278. Afya has a twelve month low of $13.00 and a twelve month high of $16.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.78. The company has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.40, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.32. The business's 50-day moving average price is $14.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.54.

About Afya

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya's offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.

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